Vennskap News: Sweden? What about Sweden?

"Have you heard the one about Sven and....?" - "Ole and Sven were.."

Jokes about Swedes and Norskies are probably the first things that come to people's minds, but what's the rest of the story? What is happening in Sweden?

Sweden seems to be a quiet country. There are no earth-shaking news releases about Sweden and all seems well. Even in the violent times of WWII, Sweden was able to remain neutral and escaped the rage of war that surrounded them as it devastated their neighbors.

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Sweden even enjoys a generally temperate climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream. However, above the Arctic Circle, winter can be crisp and invigorating. In the south, winter is generally mild with an average temperature above 0C/32F degrees. And

because Sweden lies at a high latitude, much of the country has very long hours of daylight in summer and very long nights in winter. These winter nights might soon become very colorful while the recent solar-flares are expected to create excellent views of the famous Northern Lights this fall and winter.

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Visitors enjoying Swedish sights might find credit cards have become more handy than cash. Travelers’ checks are generally accepted as payment throughout Sweden. Change will be given

in Swedish kronor.The monetary unit in Sweden is still the krona (plural “kronor”) and equals 100 öre. Bank notes are printed in values of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 kronor, coins 1, 5 and 10 kronor, but for the traveler, major credit cards (some restriction may apply to American Express) are widely accepted throughout Sweden at banks, hotels, stores, restaurants, taxis, car rental companies, and for air, ship and rail tickets.

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Swedes brag about their water! When you come to Sweden, you are advised to bring a bottle, fill it to brim with Swedish water and enjoy it for free! If you’re out in the Swedish mountains, you can enjoy the water from flowing mountain streams and brooks. Swedish tap water is clean, tasty and free and doesn’t come in a plastic bottle.This is the country of 100,000 lakes, some of them very large (Vänern, Vättern and Mälaren) and you can’t go very far in Sweden without almost falling into one.

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If you become hungry and want a quick snack, there seems to be a plethora of Golden Arches. Swede

n has the highest number of McDonald’s per person of anywhere in Europe- although it is half the number of McDonald’s per person in the United States. You might notice a lack of gasoline fumes...· The government has proposed a total ban on fossil fuel driven vehicles by 2025.

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While we, here in the USA are in the throes of political excitement that occurs every four years, Twenty-nine years ago, Sweden changed their leader. Carl XVI Gustaf (full name: C

arl Gustaf Folke Hubertus) was born 30 April 1946) and is now the reigning King of Sweden. The King’s duties are, according to the 1974 Instrument of Government, only of a representative and ceremonial nature. The 1974 document stripped the King of most of his formal political powers while retaining him as head of state due to the establishment of parliamentary government in 1917 ( much the same as Norway). His authority is formal, and symbolic.

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Sweden is famous for several things that we, in the USA, take for granted...

Sweden is the birthplace of many successful innovative companies. According to British Wired Magazine, Sweden has the most digitally connected economy in the world, and its forward-thinking culture fosters innovation.

While people instantly recognize the name "Electrolux" on their kitchen appliances, many may not know that this Swedish company is the world's second largest home appliances manufacturer. Started in 1919, the company originally sold vacuum cleaners, and l

ater added refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and a variety of other appliances to its product line.

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Another very popular product was produced by a company founded in 2003 by Swede Niklas Zennström and Dane Janus Friis. This brought people living on different continents closer together. The product was called "Skype" which allows people to make free voice and video calls over the internet through personal computers, laptops and a variety of mobile handheld devices, making it a tool for keeping in touch with family, friends and colleagues around the world. Skype was so revolutionary in its Swedish inception that eBay acquired it in 2005 and it was later sold again in 2011 to Microsoft for $8,500.000.00 US Dollars. A Swede did it!

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Then, there's the issue of "

electronic music sharing"... Legally sharing and streaming copyrighted music online remains a hotly debated issue, and Swedish company "Spotify" bridges that gap by providing online music streaming services as a legal alternative to pirated music file-sharing sites. Started in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, Spotify allows users to freely listen to, stream and share millions of music tracks to their computers and mobile devices such as smartphones.

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And where does much of that "Scandinavian Look" furniture come from? IKEA.

Home furnishing giant IKEA, founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, has grown to over 325 stores in more than 38 countries. Known for stylish home décor and furniture, IKEA continues to bring out the handy craftsman in people and is a must for many college students on low budgets. IKEA has been able to provide affordable Scandinavia-inspired furniture, even in the USA.

But lately.... Would you live in a town built by IKEA?

This is a model of the various complex locations of commerce, offices, etc.

A couple years ago, the question might have sounded silly: "Here's a plan to build a vehicle-free community outside London"! Those plans have since firmed up, with construction on 26 acres expected to start next year. Now IKEA is expanding its empire: "Landprop" of IKEA announced this month that it’s building another community in Hamburg, Germany--also virtually car-free. IKEA will be the owner,manager and landlord for everyone!

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Speaking of cars, all of us are familiar with the Swedish SAAB and the Volvo.

Volvo means “I roll” in Latin, while “volvere”, is in relation to ball bearings.

"AB Volvo" is a Swedish manufacturer of trucks, buses and construction equipment, and a former manufacturer of cars. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, and ball bearings. The Volvo Group had its origin in 1927 when the first Volvo car rolled off the production line at the factory in Gothenburg.

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Maybe we could forget a company concerned with sanitation...

All of us dog owners usually (should) carry a little "doggie bag" used in emergencies.Now there’s a “People Bag”.

Swedish company" Peepoople" is attempting to solve one of the world's biggest problems, with its ingeniously named Peepoo bag. The United Nations says roughly 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. The Peepoo bag is a self-sanitizing single-use and fully biodegradable portable toilet and rather self-descriptive.

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If you happen to be in the Stockholm area, you may hear the happy sounds of celebration in a very popular fall festival.

Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival finds people experiencing the knowledge of beer, whiskey tastings as participants attend master classes, international competitions in direct connection to the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival - with wine, champagne, rum, tequila, cognac, liqueurs and other delicacies - a given success!